This One's Personal
Chapter 6
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Katy was going over her receipts from earlier in the day. She had dropped the kids off to Mark's parents house. It seemed like it had been forever since they'd seen their grandparents so she could get some errands done. She'd been spending a lot of her time with the kids at home since all the stuff about Shaun had come to light. Sure, they'd seen her parents all the time, but that was only natural. She tried to keep Mark's parents involved with the children's lives to help keep Mark's memory alive for them.
She thought back to this morning. How it seemed almost like old times - cooking breakfast, the kids bickering with each other and then listening to them rough house in the living room while she cleaned up the breakfast dishes. Mark always did that with the kids on the weekends when he wasn't working. It was like a ritual. They always seemed to be lurking around a corner to pounce on Mark as soon as he was done with his breakfast. It felt good to hear that again. It felt good to have someone around the house to take some of the load off of her. Sometimes she would get tired of being both parents. She thought of Bosco's laugh while he was playing with Mike, Matt and Shaun. Even Stephanie was trying to get in on the play and she remembered how protective Bosco had been while she was trying to play with the older kids - "Watch out for the baby, she's right behind you," he'd warn the kids as they tumbled on top of him. She remembered how gentle his voice was when he was bringing her in from the living room for breakfast that morning as he corrected her when she'd called him 'DaDa.' Her eyes filled briefly with tears at the thought that Stephanie would never know her father. She shook herself from those sad thoughts and continued entering the money she'd spent that day into the check register.
But, soon she found herself thinking about Bosco again and she felt slightly guilty. It had only been two years since Mark had died. Should she be thinking about another man that way so soon? She couldn't talk to Mark's mother about it, she didn't want to upset her. And she felt funny talking to her Dad about it. Her mother had passed away about eight years ago. "Maybe I'll call Faith and see if she wants to have lunch sometime," she thought to herself. She'd always been able to talk to Faith about anything.
She was suddenly brought from her thoughts by the sound of the television in the other room. The kids were increasing the volume because they were bickering over what they were going to watch. Katy looked up at the clock and saw that it was 9:00. "Okay! Time for bed!" she called out to them. She had put Stephanie down at her regular time, but let the others stay up a little later on Saturday nights because there was no school the next day. They'd always pop a movie in the VCR and she'd make popcorn for them.
She heard the usual grumbling at the announcement of bedtime, but knew that they'd move anyway. They knew they could only push her so far and she heard them all start heading upstairs. "Get your PJs on and brush your teeth. I'll be right up. And don't wake Stephie," she added as they went on their way.
She put her checkbook away and placed her half empty cup of tea in the sink and headed upstairs. She checked on Stephanie as the boys went about their bedtime routine and then she tucked them in one-by-one. She gave Mike and Matt a kiss and warning, "Remember, no talking, just go to sleep." They had finally settled into a routine of who was sleeping on the top bunk when and they rotated it on their own without fighting too much. She turned out the light and headed across the hall to Shaun's room and found him sitting on the back of his firetruck bed pretending to be going to a fire call.
"Okay, buddy. Fire's out. Time to hit the rack before the next job," she said to him as she helped him under the covers. "You brushed your teeth good, right?" she asked and he nodded. "Okay. Sleep well. I love you," Katy said, brushing the hair off his forehead and kissing it.
"'Night, Mommy," Shaun said to her. "I'll try not to have bad dreams tonight," he said apologetically.
She knelt down alongside him and put her face down right next to his ear. Softly, she said, "don't you worry about it Shaun. You just call me if you need me and I'll be right here. You're safe now so try not to worry," Katy said as she looked over to make sure his nightlight was still plugged into the wall and shut off his overheard light on her way out. She left the door ajar so she could hear him if he needed her. She watched him snuggle down under the covers as a tear escaped down her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Shaun," she said quietly to herself. "I'll never let anyone hurt you again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Across the street, at the back of Katy's house, sat George Palmer looking through his binoculars waiting for the house to go dark. He'd watched her leave this afternoon with the kids and he waited just long enough to be sure that she wasn't coming back because she'd forgotten something. He got out of his truck wearing the standard cable company uniform, clipboard in hand, and climbed the back fire escape up to the second level. He rigged up the lock on the window without incident and got in his truck and left. Now he sat, anxiously awaiting his chance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bosco and Faith still looking for Palmer. Of course, now they knew his real name was Nathaniel James and Bosco couldn't shake the sick feeling in his stomach knowing that this guy had been on the streets for at least 25 years, leaving a path of destroyed lives in his wake.
"I still can't believe this nutcase can keep getting these jobs," complained Faith. "I mean I thought that there were background check procedures to prevent this sort of thing," she finished looking over at her partner who had a smirk on his face.
"What's so funny?" she asked him. "Bosco?" she said, louder, pulling him back into her conversation.
"What? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about this morning," he said as he took a turn and continued down the road. Faith looked at him, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't and she saw the same smirk again, she pushed a little more.
"What about this morning?" she asked. "I tried calling you after I got home last night and then again this morning to see if you'd gotten any sleep and all I got was your machine. You weren't out all night and day looking for this jerk again were you? Because you need to get some rest too. It's not healthy I'm telling you. You're gonna get yourself all run down and…" she stopped talking as she looked over at him and saw the look on his face.
"Are you done, Mommy?" he said sarcastically, looking over at her. "As a matter of fact, I slept very well last night. And I had a great day today too."
"So, do tell what brought about this wonderful night's sleep and sunny disposition," she teased him.
"I stopped over to see Katy last night after work - with the Lieu's encouragement I might add - and we talked for a long time. I ended up falling asleep on her couch," he said, slightly embarrassed as he remembered. He looked over at Faith and saw her raise her eyebrows as if to say she didn't believe he didn't try to get her into bed.
"Really. I woke up to the sound of the kids bickering and Stephanie sticking a pacifier in my ear," he said, chuckling out loud. Faith began to chuckle too and then they were interrupted.
"Central to 55-David," came the dispatcher's voice.
"David," replied Bosco into the microphone clipped to his shoulder.
"55-David, report to the station to meet up with the Lieutenant and 55-Charlie," came the response.
"What's up, Central?" questioned Bosco.
"Boss just says to get into the station," answered the dispatcher.
"55-David, 10-4," Bosco said as he looked over at Faith.
"Apparently, the Boss found out you spent the night with his daughter," she teased him. Bosco made one of his faces and turned the car around to head back to the stationhouse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC…
Chapter 6
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Katy was going over her receipts from earlier in the day. She had dropped the kids off to Mark's parents house. It seemed like it had been forever since they'd seen their grandparents so she could get some errands done. She'd been spending a lot of her time with the kids at home since all the stuff about Shaun had come to light. Sure, they'd seen her parents all the time, but that was only natural. She tried to keep Mark's parents involved with the children's lives to help keep Mark's memory alive for them.
She thought back to this morning. How it seemed almost like old times - cooking breakfast, the kids bickering with each other and then listening to them rough house in the living room while she cleaned up the breakfast dishes. Mark always did that with the kids on the weekends when he wasn't working. It was like a ritual. They always seemed to be lurking around a corner to pounce on Mark as soon as he was done with his breakfast. It felt good to hear that again. It felt good to have someone around the house to take some of the load off of her. Sometimes she would get tired of being both parents. She thought of Bosco's laugh while he was playing with Mike, Matt and Shaun. Even Stephanie was trying to get in on the play and she remembered how protective Bosco had been while she was trying to play with the older kids - "Watch out for the baby, she's right behind you," he'd warn the kids as they tumbled on top of him. She remembered how gentle his voice was when he was bringing her in from the living room for breakfast that morning as he corrected her when she'd called him 'DaDa.' Her eyes filled briefly with tears at the thought that Stephanie would never know her father. She shook herself from those sad thoughts and continued entering the money she'd spent that day into the check register.
But, soon she found herself thinking about Bosco again and she felt slightly guilty. It had only been two years since Mark had died. Should she be thinking about another man that way so soon? She couldn't talk to Mark's mother about it, she didn't want to upset her. And she felt funny talking to her Dad about it. Her mother had passed away about eight years ago. "Maybe I'll call Faith and see if she wants to have lunch sometime," she thought to herself. She'd always been able to talk to Faith about anything.
She was suddenly brought from her thoughts by the sound of the television in the other room. The kids were increasing the volume because they were bickering over what they were going to watch. Katy looked up at the clock and saw that it was 9:00. "Okay! Time for bed!" she called out to them. She had put Stephanie down at her regular time, but let the others stay up a little later on Saturday nights because there was no school the next day. They'd always pop a movie in the VCR and she'd make popcorn for them.
She heard the usual grumbling at the announcement of bedtime, but knew that they'd move anyway. They knew they could only push her so far and she heard them all start heading upstairs. "Get your PJs on and brush your teeth. I'll be right up. And don't wake Stephie," she added as they went on their way.
She put her checkbook away and placed her half empty cup of tea in the sink and headed upstairs. She checked on Stephanie as the boys went about their bedtime routine and then she tucked them in one-by-one. She gave Mike and Matt a kiss and warning, "Remember, no talking, just go to sleep." They had finally settled into a routine of who was sleeping on the top bunk when and they rotated it on their own without fighting too much. She turned out the light and headed across the hall to Shaun's room and found him sitting on the back of his firetruck bed pretending to be going to a fire call.
"Okay, buddy. Fire's out. Time to hit the rack before the next job," she said to him as she helped him under the covers. "You brushed your teeth good, right?" she asked and he nodded. "Okay. Sleep well. I love you," Katy said, brushing the hair off his forehead and kissing it.
"'Night, Mommy," Shaun said to her. "I'll try not to have bad dreams tonight," he said apologetically.
She knelt down alongside him and put her face down right next to his ear. Softly, she said, "don't you worry about it Shaun. You just call me if you need me and I'll be right here. You're safe now so try not to worry," Katy said as she looked over to make sure his nightlight was still plugged into the wall and shut off his overheard light on her way out. She left the door ajar so she could hear him if he needed her. She watched him snuggle down under the covers as a tear escaped down her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Shaun," she said quietly to herself. "I'll never let anyone hurt you again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Across the street, at the back of Katy's house, sat George Palmer looking through his binoculars waiting for the house to go dark. He'd watched her leave this afternoon with the kids and he waited just long enough to be sure that she wasn't coming back because she'd forgotten something. He got out of his truck wearing the standard cable company uniform, clipboard in hand, and climbed the back fire escape up to the second level. He rigged up the lock on the window without incident and got in his truck and left. Now he sat, anxiously awaiting his chance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bosco and Faith still looking for Palmer. Of course, now they knew his real name was Nathaniel James and Bosco couldn't shake the sick feeling in his stomach knowing that this guy had been on the streets for at least 25 years, leaving a path of destroyed lives in his wake.
"I still can't believe this nutcase can keep getting these jobs," complained Faith. "I mean I thought that there were background check procedures to prevent this sort of thing," she finished looking over at her partner who had a smirk on his face.
"What's so funny?" she asked him. "Bosco?" she said, louder, pulling him back into her conversation.
"What? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about this morning," he said as he took a turn and continued down the road. Faith looked at him, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't and she saw the same smirk again, she pushed a little more.
"What about this morning?" she asked. "I tried calling you after I got home last night and then again this morning to see if you'd gotten any sleep and all I got was your machine. You weren't out all night and day looking for this jerk again were you? Because you need to get some rest too. It's not healthy I'm telling you. You're gonna get yourself all run down and…" she stopped talking as she looked over at him and saw the look on his face.
"Are you done, Mommy?" he said sarcastically, looking over at her. "As a matter of fact, I slept very well last night. And I had a great day today too."
"So, do tell what brought about this wonderful night's sleep and sunny disposition," she teased him.
"I stopped over to see Katy last night after work - with the Lieu's encouragement I might add - and we talked for a long time. I ended up falling asleep on her couch," he said, slightly embarrassed as he remembered. He looked over at Faith and saw her raise her eyebrows as if to say she didn't believe he didn't try to get her into bed.
"Really. I woke up to the sound of the kids bickering and Stephanie sticking a pacifier in my ear," he said, chuckling out loud. Faith began to chuckle too and then they were interrupted.
"Central to 55-David," came the dispatcher's voice.
"David," replied Bosco into the microphone clipped to his shoulder.
"55-David, report to the station to meet up with the Lieutenant and 55-Charlie," came the response.
"What's up, Central?" questioned Bosco.
"Boss just says to get into the station," answered the dispatcher.
"55-David, 10-4," Bosco said as he looked over at Faith.
"Apparently, the Boss found out you spent the night with his daughter," she teased him. Bosco made one of his faces and turned the car around to head back to the stationhouse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC…